First came the flood. In February 2020, three pipes burst at the Italian Community Center, sending 180,000 gallons of water flowing through the building at 302 Rantoul St. By the time the water could be turned off, the interior was completely destroyed. Next up? The COVID-19 pandemic, which arrived in force the following month.

Several members of the club died from the disease. Construction costs soared, putting into question whether the club could afford to rebuild. Members wondered if the ICC, whose roots in the city date back nearly a century, would ever reopen. “We were in shock,” Italian Community Center president Guy Calabro said. “It was a perfect storm. A one-two punch. Everything went bad.”